UTEP Men’s Basketball Enters Pivotal Stretch in CUSA Play

With the calendar turning toward the final 11 games of the regular season, the margin for error continues to shrink for the UTEP men’s basketball team (7-13, 3-6 CUSA).

The Miners have struggled to find consistency this season and currently sit outside a comfortable position in the Conference USA standings, tied for second-to-last with NM State and FIU.

Offensive droughts, defensive lapses and an inability to close out games have all contributed to a record that does not reflect the expectations surrounding the program entering the fifth year of head coach Joe Golding at the helm.

Still, the season is far from decided.

Miners will host LA Tech and Delaware this week.

The Miners will host LA Tech (11-8, 4-4 CUSA) and Delaware (5-14, 1-7) on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.

Conference USA’s format, a one-bid league, keeps the door open for teams like UTEP to theoretically make a postseason tournament. However, they still need to qualify for the league tournament in Alabama, as the CUSA Tournament will take the top 10 of the 12 teams in the conference. For a team still searching for rhythm, the coming weeks will be key for the men's squad.

UTEP has shown flashes of competitiveness, particularly in their home wins against Middle Tennessee in overtime (83-80) and Florida International (83-77). But, they have a 1-7 record on the road, recently squeaking past the worst team in the league on the road at Delaware (67-62). Fortunately for the Miners, six of their last 11 games will be at home.

Tyreese Watson out with injury.

Depth and health will also play a role. Last week, guard Tyreese Watson, who appeared in only seven games this year, was ruled out for the rest of the year as he seeks a medical redshirt.

As a result, the Miners have relied on younger guards to play in bigger roles like KJ Thomas and Trey Horton. UTEP relies heavily on the game-to-game production from the trio of Kaseem Watson, Elijah Jones and Jamal West Jr. If one of them is off on a given night, it's an uphill battle for the Miners.

Miners seeking a strong finish to the season.

From a broader perspective, this stretch serves as a measuring stick for the program’s growth. While the record has not reflected sustained success, how the Miners respond during this final stretch and the CUSA Tournament will shape the narrative of the season.

A strong finish would not erase earlier struggles, but it could give them more momentum heading into an offseason where a lot still needs to be solved before joining a much better conference in the Mountain West.

For now, the math is simple. Wins are required, and every game carries postseason implications.

MinerTalk on 600 ESPN El Paso is presented by Jack in the Box. Tune in after every UTEP men’s basketball game for postgame analysis, reaction and coverage from around Conference USA.